Scoop Newsletter-New Changes Coming!

Starting January 2019, the Parks and Recreation Department will no longer require a subscription or fee to receive the newsletter by mail. This change has been made to provide information to adults and seniors free of charge as well as to increase access to information about Inver Grove Heights Active Adult programs. Individuals who currently have a Scoop subscription will automatically continue to receive the newsletter by mail quarterly.

SENIOR CLUB

The senior club is a group that offers cards and monthly luncheons. Membership is $8 for the year, which includes discounts on Club activities organized by volunteer members. The membership cycle is Jan.-Dec. Club activities are held at Veterans Memorial Community Center, Community Room 2.

Note: You do not have to be a senior club member to do other Active Adult 55+ programs, events and activities.

Monthly Luncheons with Entertainment

Held the third Monday of every month from 12 to 2 p.m. in Community Room 2:

*Due to construction of the West Rink in the VMCC, walking will be unavailable until early November.**Walking buttons can be purchased at IGH Park & Recreation Office, the 197 School District Office, the Thompson Activity Center (WSP) or at the Central Square Community Center. Walking buttons should be worn when participating.

Day Trips

Explore different locations and experience arts, culture and camaraderie all in a day! Check out the current destinations and make sure to register to save a spot!

Important notes:

Some trips are planned in collaboration with other communities and include additional pick-up sites. Where you register is where you will board the bus. If you want to depart from Inver Grove Heights, visit the Parks and Recreation Office to register.

Please arrive to the pick up location (where you registered) 15-20 minutes before the listed trip departure time.

No refunds will be issued after the registration deadline.

Upcoming Trips

2018 Day Trips

​​Travel Talk - FREE!

Wondering what we are planning for trips in 2019? Come hear from our partner, Landmark Tour Company, what local, national and even international ideas are on the docket. Landmark Tour Company is known for planning excellent trips for adults!

This unusual, eight-sided house, located in Hudson, Wis., was built in 1855 and has recently been beautifully restored. It is truly a marvelous sight to see and we want you to see four yourself when it will be decorated for Christmas inside and out, including the carriage house! Some history of the Octagon House: It was home to Judge John Moffat who came to Hudson from New York. It is furnished with artifacts and antiques from early life in the St. Croix Valley.

Take in the sights of the holiday season with a local guide who will give you a tour of St. Paul bathed in Christmas lights. The first site will be Rice Park surrounded by the Saint Paul Hotel, Landmark Center, Ordway and the Downtown Library. The entire block is draped in twinkling lights and features St. Paul’s official Christmas tree. Then you will head to Lowertown and view Mears Park and lastly, you will drive along Summit Avenue for subtle views of a quiet neighborhood of mansions.

2019 Day Trips

Old Log Theatre “Lend Me a Tenor” - $73

This award winning madcap screwball comedy is set in 1934. Sunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is set to welcome world-famous Tito Morelli, the greatest tenor of his era, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late and hilarity ensues, which you cannot miss!Menu option are: 1) Short rib2) Pork chop3) Tilapia4) Angel hair pasta Every entree includes vegetables and a roll. Dessert with tea and/or coffee also will be served.

Your beloved Church Basement Ladies are back and getting busy with life outside the kitchen and into the barn in this rendition of “You Smell Barn." After the last of the hot dish is served, the coffee pot is emptied, and the Jell-o molds are put away, these steadfast, sturdy women head to their farms, peel off their good girdles and get on with daily chores. See firsthand what life is like from the basement to the barn!

A comedy about a newlywed couple and a meddling mother-in-law trying to live together in a haunted house with ghosts and a Guardian Angel. Cobbler’s Cottage is haunted by Susie Cameron and her husband, Jack, who in life was a successful author. Annoyed to find themselves victims of a tragic accident, their ghosts have been scared away – much to the distraction of Mark Webster, the estate agent trying to sell the property. You are sure to have a hauntingly good time!

This darling of Broadway has returned! Based on Thornton Wilder’s play, The Matchmaker,Hello, Dolly! was an instant success when it first debuted in 1964. With memorable classic melodies such as ‘Before the Parade Passes By’ and ‘Put on Your Sunday Clothes,' Hello, Dolly! is ready to reclaim the hearts of the American people, including yours!

A number of programs are available that cover a variety of topics. Learn more below, Including dates, times and cost.

2018 Holiday Programs

Celebrate the Holiday season with Inver Grove Heights! Several holiday-themed events are planned. Visit the Holiday in the Heights page for more details on events, including how to register.

​DRIVER SAFETY: 55+ CLASS

​A state-approved accident prevention course taught by the MN Highway Safety & Research Center. Persons ages 55 and older who complete the course also qualify for a 10% discount on their auto insurance premiums for three years*.

*First time participants must complete the 8-hour initial course. Then the 4-hour Refresher Course must be taken every three years to maintain the 10% discount.

METRO DINING CLUB CARDS

Dining Club cards are discount cards to restaurants in the St. Paul area. Many cards include "2-for-1" dining offers, which means you and a guest could go out for breakfast, lunch or dinner and order from the regular menu and receive the second entrée “on the house.”

Pick up a box of 165 cards for $25 now through the end of December. Boxes are sold at the Park and Recreation Office and at Guest Services, both located in the Veterans Memorial Community Center at 8055 Barbara Ave, Inver Grove Heights, 55077.

​​Reading Programs

History Book Club

Every fourth Monday of the month from 10 to 11 a.m., the History Book Club meets to discuss different books selected ahead of time. This is a free, drop-in group, no registration is required.

For more information or to offer book suggestions, contact Barbara Eschle by email at quinneschle@gmail.com, or call 651-450-6879.

For 21 years, DARTS Learning Buddies Program has helped match community members with elementary and middle school classrooms, including those in Inver Grove Heights, to enhance students reading, math, and science skills while becoming an intergenerational friend.

The Pen Pals Program specifically matches adults with a 2nd or 3rd grader and they exchange monthly letters from October through May. Then, in the spring, they meet in person at the school to connect and wrap up the year.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Erin Walloch, Program Manager at DARTS, (651) 234-2227 or by email at Erin.Walloch@darts1.org.​

UCare Member Discounts​UCare for Seniors members and EssentialCare members are eligible for one $15 discount per calendar year on most community education/recreation programs including trips! Members simply showe their UCare ID card when registering for the trip/class to receive the discount. Members must be enrolled with UCare at the time of the trip/class to receive the discount. UCare Choices and Fairview Choices members are not eligible for the $15 class discount. Other restrictions may apply.​​Happy Feet Foot Services - $38

​Relax and enjoy a half hour of pampering every fourth Tuesday of the month! A nurse will provide a foot soak, nail trim, foot massage and foot treatment.

To schedule an appointment, call 763-560-5136.

​​Free Blood Pressure Checks​​Stop by on the third Friday of every month in the lobby of the Grove Aquatic & Fitness Center
​for a Free blood pressure check provide by HealthEast.​

​Learn About Rideshare Providers​Hear a presentation by Dakota County about Rideshare service providers. Attend this informational session to hear what services are available including providers like Lyft and Uber and learn easy "how to use" rideshare transportation services can get you to doctor appointments, to get groceries and more. Participants should have a smartphone that has internet connection and should bring it to the workshop. Light brunch and beverages provided.​​Tuesday, October 30​1-2:30pm​​Medicate Benefit Change Info Sessions​Several insurance providers will be hosting information sessions regarding Medicare changes. No registration required.​​* Wednesday, October 17, 1:30-4:30pm: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Jeff Nelson, Community Room 1​* Tuesday, October 23, 8am-12pm: UCare for Seniors: Chery Swenson, Community Room 3​* Thursday, October 25, 10am-12pm: United Health: Joe Karels, Community Room 1​* Thursday, November 1, 10am-2pm: United Health: Joe Karels, Community Room 1​​​​

GUEST SPEAKERS SERIES

Educational opportunities to learn more about a wide variety of topics.

Upcoming opportunities

Tooth Wisdom

The Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging is conducting its third Minnesota pilot of Tooth Wisdom: Get Smart About Your Mouth, an initiative of Oral Health America’s Wisdom Tooth Project. It is a health education program that empowers older adults to improve oral health through daily self-care and increased knowledge about the importance of oral health to overall health and well-being.

Participants are invited to attend a one-hour program led by Community Health Workers who have received special training.

​Are you interested in traveling with a group to places throughout the United States? We are working with Landmark Tours Company to provide this service. Come find out what local, national and even international ideas are on the docket. Landmark Tour Company is known for planning excellent trips for adults!